Forty-eight hours ago, Mariano Rivera was in Panama. Since then, all he’s done is fly to New York, jump into uniform and save the Yankees two nights in a row.
Any questions about who is baseball’s best closer?
“I’m feeling good,” Rivera said after racking up his second save in the ALCS in the Yankees’ 3-1 Game 2 win last night. “This is no time to rest. We have enough time to rest after the season. Just keep going.”
And keep giving the ball to Rivera. The ace closer was at it again last night, stifling a Sox rally in the eighth by coming in with a runner on third, two outs and the tying run at the plate in Johnny Damon.
One strikeout looking later, you could cancel that threat. Rivera then worked a scoreless ninth inning, allowing only Manny Ramirez’s double before striking out David Ortiz and Kevin Millar to end it.
Rivera is still hurting after burying two family members Tuesday. But he admitted to doing a little better the day after.
“[Yesterday] was easier,” he said. “Yes, I miss my family and I miss my wife. But I have a job to do.”
Added Rivera, “The only place that I haven’t been thinking about [the family tragedy] is on the mound.”
Indeed, as soon as his superb performance Tuesday night was over, Rivera put baseball aside, once again becoming a concerned husband.
“I called my family,” he said. “I was hurt after the game.”
An exhausted Rivera eventually returned home after leaving the ballpark that night and fell asleep – “till noon [yesterday],” he said.
The ace closer also said he spoke to his family approximately every half-hour yesterday, revealing that under the circumstances, his family members are holding up as well as can be expected.
“They’re doing good,” Rivera said. “They’re doing great as can be. I thank God for everything.”
Although the Yankees are off today, Rivera dismissed the idea of returning to Panama to spend more time with his family, saying, “Too long to travel and I don’t have the time. I don’t think I can do it.”
One thing Rivera said he has done is talk to his children about what happened.
“I did explain it,” he said, “but they’re little. They really don’t understand too much. They miss mom, but they really don’t understand.”
